Norwalk teachers union settles lawsuit

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, November 17, 2008

NORWALK

By JOAN GAYLORD

Hour Staff Writer

The Board of Education agreed to greater transparency in its actions when it settled a federal lawsuit brought by the Norwalk teachers union.

As stipulated in the settlement, the school board has agreed to make available to the Norwalk Federation of Teachers select documents that it expects to discuss or vote upon four days before scheduled board meetings. The board also agreed to provide representatives of the union an opportunity for public comment.

The NFT filed the suit in 2007 after the school board refused to postpone a vote that offered a three-year employment contract to Superintendent of Schools Sal Corda. The union requested the postponement to allow its members time to review the contract and participate in public comment.

"We brought the lawsuit on the basis of the denial of the freedom of speech," said Bruce Mellion, NFT president and a signatory of the agreement. "We have a right to see a document and speak about it in public."

Jody Bishop-Pullan, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Board of Education, affirmed that the settlement agreement was the work of both parties and was undertaken "in the spirit of good communication." Bishop-Pullan was board chair at the time of the 2007 vote.

"The board wants to be open so we agree to the terms," she said.

The agreement requires the Board of Education to release to the president of the teachers union:

* terms of a superintendent's employment agreement or modification or extension of an existing agreement;

* offers of employment or modifications or extensions of existing agreements made to senior level administrative employees such as assistant superintendents;

* contracts in excess of $100,000.

The board also agreed to allow union representatives the opportunity for public comment.

If the items listed above are not made available to the union at least four calendar days before

a meeting, the Board of Education will postpone or defer discussion and votes on the topics.

All other non-confidential documents that the board expects to discuss or vote upon during a meeting will be made available to the union no later than the beginning of the meeting.

Upon accepting the terms of the agreement, Judge Thomas P. Smith said, "Because of the mature and responsible cooperation of all who were involved in this case, in my opinion the true winner here is the taxpayers of Norwalk, and ultimately the children, the students who go to school in Norwalk."